Tapes
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy /Be Kind Rewind
Prompt: ?
Word Count:422

"Have you got Casablanca?" Arthur finally asked, a little freaked out by the looks he was getting from the guy behind the counter. Personally, he thought the day had already gone all spoiled. Arthur didn't see why he was the one having to run errands when it was Ford who wanted to see the film.

"You look familiar." Mike grinned. Bathrobes weren't the strangest thing people had showed up at the shop in. He wasn't sure anything could beat Robo-Cop, anyway.

Arthur squinted at the man behind the counter. "You too." he replied. He squinted a little more. "Actually, the resemblance is uncanny. I don't suppose you were born on a planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse?"

"Born and raised here in Passaic." Mike said proudly. "No seriously, you know who you make me think of? The perfect guy to be in our next film." He nodded vigorously to make a point. Seriously, they wouldn't even need to find a bathrobe – this guy was already dressed for the role.

"Well that's strange." Arthur waved his hand vaguely. He picked up Space Balls. He set it back down. He picked up 2001: A Space Odyssey. He set it back down.

"So?" Mike asked.

"So..."Arthur shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're asking for."

"So do you want to be in our movie?" Mike expounded.

Arthur looked around the shop. He looked at his dressing gown. He thought about how he'd been told to sit tight and that they'd be back to pick him up in a while. He thought about what in a while meant to Zaphod Beeblebrox. "Is it about space?"

"No."

"Aliens?"

"Nope."

Arthur paused, clearly debating. "Do you have any tea?"

"No." Mike said, and held up a finger. "But I can get some."

Arthur smiled for the first time since he'd walked into the shop. For the first time since he'd been dumped on this planet. "Okay then." he agreed.

Two days later, Ford couldn't decide what made him madder – the fact that Arthur had not done the one thing he was asked to do and pick up a new copy of Casablanca, or the fact that some nobody who just happened to be remarkably handsome had gotten to sleep with the earthman before he did.

"What's he got that I don't?" Ford mumbled, and pointedly didn't think about the numerous take one step closer and I throw this lamp at your head rejections that he'd gotten over the years.

"Tea." Trillian said knowingly. She was right.